A psychoactive drug or psychotropic substance
is a chemical that alters brain function, resulting in temporary changes
in perception, mood, consciousness, or behaviour. Such drugs are often used
for recreational and spiritual purposes, as well as in medicine, especially
for treating neurological and psychological illnesses.

Common psychoactive
drugs

Note: This overview groups together drugs with
different effects and modes of action. Several have properties of many
categories.

* Stimulants

o Cocaine

o Amphetamine

o Caffeine

o Nicotine

* Psychedelics

o LSD

o Mescaline

o Psilocybin

o Cannabis

o PCP

o MDMA ("Ecstasy")

o DMT

o Ketamine

o Salvinorin A

o DXM

* Narcotics

o Opiates

+ Morphine

+ Codeine

+ Heroin

* Sedatives

o Ethyl alcohol

o Benzodiazepines

+ Valium

o GHB

* Anti-depressants

o SSRIs

+ Prozac

+ Zoloft

+ Paxil

* Antipsychotics

o Haloperidol (Haldol)

* Aphrodisiacs

o PT-141

* Other

o Diphenhydramine

o Datura

* In a broader sense also:

o Antiemetics

o Analgesics

o Antiepileptics

Ways Psychoactive Drugs Affect
The Brain

There are many ways in which psychoactive drugs
can affect the brain. While some drugs affect neurons presynaptically, others
act postsynpatically and some drugs don't even attack the synapse, working
on neural axons instead. Here is a general breakdown of the ways psychoative
drugs can work.

The information above is not intended
for and should not be used as a substitute for the diagnosis and/or treatment
by a licensed, qualified, health-care professional. This article is licensed
under the GNU Free Documentation
License. It incorporates material originating from the Wikipedia article
"Psychoactive
drug".